Hollow core instrument cable

ABSTRACT

A HOLLOW CORE CONDUIT IS WOUND ON A WINCH OR STORAGE REEL ABOARD AN OCEANOGRAPHIC VESSEL AND THE CONDUIT IS OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO EXTEND FROM THE VESSEL TO A SUBMERGED POSITION PREFERABLY ON THE OCEAN FLOOR WHERE IT IS ANCHORED. THE FACT THAT THE CONDUIT IS FORMED WITH A HOLLOW CORE PERMITS AN OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTRUMENT, SUCH AS A BATHYTHERMOGRAPH PROBE, TO BE RUN UP AND DOWN THE CONDUIT WHEN THE CONDUIT IS DISPOSED IN A VERTICAL DISPOSITION BETWEEN THE REEL AND THE OCEAN FLOOR. TEMPERATURE SENSING THUS CAN BE ACHIEVED FOR ALL DEPTHS AND THE SENSED DATA TRANSMITTED BY A TELEMETERING LINE WHICH SUPORTS THE PROBE TO A RECORDER OR OTHER APPARATUS ABOARD THE VESSEL. THE CONDUIT ITSELF INCLUDES A FLEXIBLE AND POROUS EXTERIOR CASING MEMBER FORMED OF A BRAIDED ROPELIKE MATERIAL AND A COIL SPRING ELASTICALLY ENGAGING THE INTERIOR WALL OF THE CASING MEMBER THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH TO PROVIDE BULKHEAD STRENGTH SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE HOLLOW CORE SHAPE OF THE CONDUIT OVER A DESIRED RANGE OF CONDUIT LOADS. THE BRAIDED CASING MEMBER IS USED TO COUPLE THE ENDS OF THE CONDUIT TO THE REEL AND THE ANCHOR SO THAT THE ENTIRE TENSILE LOAD IS BORNE BY THIS CASING WITH THE INTERIOR SPRING RELATIVELY FREE TO MOVE.

United States Patent v w13,ss7,310

[72] Inventor M N. Irowa Sal Diego, Call. [2]] Appl. No. 71,267 [22]Filed 0st. 29, i969 (45] Patented Jane 28, 1971 [73] Assignee The UnitedStates of America as represented by the Secretary ofthe Navy.

[54] HOLLOW-(203E INSTRUMENT CABLE 4 Claims, 3 Drawhg Figs.

[52] us. Cl. 73/170A, 138/127 [5 1] Int. Cl. Gllld 1/00 [50] Mats-eh..73ll70 (0); l38ll23, I27, 133

[56] References Clad UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,2",823 10/1965 Brown etall38/l33X Primary Examiner-Jerry W. Myracle Attorneys R. S. Sciascia andPaul N. Critchlow ABSTRACT: A hollow core conduit is wound on a winch orstorage reel aboard an oceanographic vessel and the conduit is ofsufficient length to extend from the vessel to a submerged positionpreferably on the ocean floor where it is anchored. The fact that theconduit is formed with a hollow core permits an oceanographicinstrument, such as a bathythermograph probe, to be run up and down theconduit when the conduit is disposed in a vertical disposition betweenthe reel and the ocean floor. Temperature sensing thus can be achievedfor all depths and the sensed data transmitted by a telemetering linewhich supports the probe to a recorder or other apparatus aboard thevessel. The conduit itself includes a flexible and porous exteriorcasing member formed of a braided ropelike material and a coil springelastically engaging the interior wall of the casing member throughoutits length to provide bulkhead strength sutficient to maintain thehollow core shape of the conduit over a desired range of conduit loads.The braided casing member is used to couple the ends of the conduit tothe reel and the anchor so that the entire tensile load is borne by thiscasing with the interior spring relatively free to move.

PATENTEBJum |97| Fig.

W m R H m m N L E N A Fig. 2

HOLLOW CORE INSTRUMENT CABLE The invention described herein may bemanufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States ofAmerica for governmental purposes without the payment of any royaltiesthereon or therefor;

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present" invention relates tooceanographic apparatus and, in particular, to probelike apparatuscapable of being moved through varying depths of the ocean to providecontinuous readings as the depth is varied.

Oceanographic instruments, such as bathythermographs, are used to sensetemperature at the varying depths of the ocean and to provide continuoussensing for all depths encountered, either a large number ofbathythermographs must be employed in a chainlike configuration or asingle bathythennograph can be run up and down a moored and anchoredline to act as a probe. In either instance, it is important that theinstruments be protected from attack by shark or other fish and, ofcourse, it also is essential that the instrument be fully exposed to theocean environment which it is sensing. Since exposure to the environmentalso results in exposure to fish attack, some difficulty has beenexperienced in providing reliable sensing means particularly when thesensing instruments must remain in the ocean environment for any lengthof time.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves theseexposure problems by utilizing a hollow core cable characterized by thefact that it is porous so as to admit the ocean environment continuouslyalong its length. Preferably, the cable has an exterior casing formed ofa braided ropelike material and a coil spring elastically engages theinterior wall of the ropelike casing to provide bulkhead strengthadequate to maintain the hollow core shape over a desired range ofconduit loads. The tensile load is borne entirely by the external casingattached at its upper end to a storage reel onto which the entire lengthcan be wound. The lower end engages an anchor which permits theapparatus to be disposed vertically thus enabling a probelikeinstrument, such as a bathythermograph, to be run up and down thepassageway provided by the hollow core.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple andeffective means for physically protecting a probelike oceanographicinstrument while at the same time permitting'continuous exposure of theinstrument during its probing movements.

Another object is to provide such a means in the form of an elongatecable capable of being wound on a storage reel and also capable of beingsubmerged into a vertically anchored disposition permitting theprobelike sensor to be run up and down along its length.

Still another object is to provide such a means in combination with aprobelike bathythermograph adapted to be run up and down a cable tosense temperature gradients at the varying depths.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings of which FIG. 1 schematically depicts the presentapparatus deployed from an oceanographic vessel;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a conduit portion of the apparatus showingdetails of the conduit construction and the manner in which the upperand lower ends of the conduit are coupled; and

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a particular type of probelikebathythermograph.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings, FIG. I,as stated, simply illustrates the deployment of the present apparatusand, as there seen, the apparatus, which essentially is formed of anelongate conduit 1, is deployed from an oceanographic vessel 2 whichmounts a storage reel or winch 3 on which the conduit is wound. Ananchor 4 is coupled to the lower end of the conduit to maintain it in avertical disposition when it is deployed for use.

As may be noted in FIG. 2, the physical structure of the conduitincludes an external casing member 6 and an internal coil spring 7elastically engaging the interior wall of casing 6 to provide bulkheadstrength for this casing. Except for other fittings to be discussedthese two elements, that is, the casing and the spring, together formthe entire conduit which therefore is in the form of a hollow-coreconduit provided with a central open passageway 8. In use, a probelikeoceanographic instrument, such as the bathythermograph illustrated inFIG. 3, is adapted to be run up and down through passageway 8 to sensethe ocean environment at the varying levels. Preferably a speciallyshaped bathythermograph, such as is shown in FIG. 3, is employed, thisparticular instrument being shaped in the manner of a fid having areduced and tapered end 9 secured to a telemetering line 10 by means ofwhich sensed data is transmitted to suitable recording data carried bythe oceanographic vessel. The larger end of the fid-shapedbathythermograph is rounded in the manner shown to facilitate itsmovement through passageway 8.

One of the principal features of the invention lies in the manner inwhich the bathythermograph is physically protected while at the sametime being fully exposed to the ocean environment. For these purposes,the conduit of the apparatus has a porous exterior casing 6 formed of abraided ropelike material such as hemp or other comparable material ofsufficient strength to withstand anticipated loads. One advantage inusing a rope type of casing is that there is relatively no twist whenthe casing is of the braid construction. The pitch and type of braidwill be found to be strictly a design problem dependent primarily uponthe tensile load to which the apparatus is subject during use. As willbe noticed subsequently, the braided casing is the member which fullyabsorbs the tensile load.

Spring 7 disposed within the braided casing is an ordinary helical steelspring which again is selected according to the considerations imposedby use. The primary function of the spring is to maintain the shape ofthe hollow core or, in other words, to maintain the openness ofpassageway 8 to permit the sensing probe to be run up and down theconduit. Obviously, if the tensile load exceeds the strength of spring7, the spring will collapse causing the entire conduit to assume acrushed attitude in which the passageway would be restricted or blocked.Consequently the primary design considerations will include pitch andtype of braid of the outside rope and the pitch and dimensions of thespring core and these factors can be interwoven to achieve a desiredtensile load capability or, in other words, to achieve a particularbulkhead strength for the conduit over a range of designed loads. At thesame time, the braided construction of the casing should be sufficientlyporous to admit the ocean environment along its entire length so thatthe probe can sensc'the temperature gradients in the ever increasingdepth of the environment.

As already stated, the braided rope casing is used to absorb the entireload and, to achieve this result, the conduit is attached to haul andanchor lines by coupling only this causing member to these lines.However, the manner in which the ends are coupled can, of course, beprovided in a number of different ways. In FIG. 3, for example, theupper end of the casing is coupled to haul line 11 by employing adoughnutshaped, ferrulelike fitting 12 having its exterior surfaceformed to be threaded into the upper end of helical spring 7. Lines 11are coupled directly to member 12. Casing 6 also is bound to member 12by means of a clamp 13 which may be a metal clamp or simply a binding ofany appropriate material. Since lines 11 are secured to member 12 andmember 12, in turn, is clamped to braided casing 6, it will be seen thatthe tensile load at the upper end is borne by the casing. The same typeof coupling is used to'connect the lower end of the conduit to anchor 4.Here again, a preferably solid fitting 14 is threaded into the helicalspring and clamped to braided casing 6 by another clamp 16.

Another significant advantage of the present construction is that itprovides a' simple and effective conduit for the bathythermograph probewhile at the same time also providing flexible conduit which can be ofsufiiciently small diameter to be wound on storage reel 3. Obviously anapparatus of this type must be stored during periods of nonuse and themost convenient manner of storing is on a reel or winch from which theconduit readily can be deployed. Stiff, relatively inflexible conduitsclearly would not permit this type of storage. The present braidedcasing and spring construction has been found to be a particularly adeptmanner of achieving the winch storage since it has the requisiteflexiblity and at the same time the spring can be selected so as toprevent the conduit from crushing during winding or unwinding. However,as has been noted, the particular advantage of the present constructionlies in its ability to provide a very simple and effective manner ofprotecting the probelike sensors, such as the bathythermograph shown inFIG. 3, while still permitting the bathythermograph to be fully exposedto the ocean environment at all levels.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specificallydescribed.

lclaim:

l. Oceanographic apparatus for use in deploying a probelike sensor meansbetween surfaced and submerged positions for deriving oceanographic dataat the varying water levels, the apparatus comprising:

a hollow-core conduit of sufiicient length to extend from the surface tothe submerged position;

said conduit including;

a flexible and porous exterior casing member formed of a braidedropelike material, and

a coil spring elastically engaging the interior wall of the casingmember throughout its length for providing bulkhead strength sufficientto maintain the hollow core shape of the conduit over a desired range ofconduit loads;

surface support means coupled to theupper end of the casing member; and

anchor means coupled to the lower end of the casing member formaintaining the conduit in a substantially vertical submergeddisposition in which the tensile load is borne by the flexible casing;

the hollow core of said vertically disposed conduit providing apassageway through which said probelike sensor can be run upwardly anddownwardly to obtain the oceanographic data from the water porouslyadmitted into the conduit at the varying levels, said apparatus furtherincluding means for moving said sensor means upwardly and downwardlythrough said passageway. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein saidsurface support means includes:

a hoisting winch adapted to receive and store said conduit length;

said bulkhead strength of said conduit being sufficient to maintain thehollow core shaped during winch winding and storing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said braid of the ropelike materialis sufficiently tight to minimize twisting motions of the conduit whenin its substantially vertical submerged disposition.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including in its combination the probelikesensor means, said means being a bathythermograph shaped as a fid andsized to be moved through the conduit core passa eway; and

sald means or moving the sensor means includes a telemetering linesecured at one end to the small tapered end of the bathythermograph andhaving its other end terminating at a surface location for enabling saidoceanographic data to be detected at the surface.

